Advancements in digital communication technologies have permitted the development of many new types of communication systems that provide many new types of communication services. To facilitate communication in such new communication schemes, standard communication schemes have been promulgated. The standardized communication schemes set forth, amongst other things, standardized formatting protocols by which to format data that is communicated during operation of various such communication systems.
Local Area Networks (LANs), for instance, are exemplary of communication systems that have been made possible as a result of advancements in digital communication techniques. In general, a local area network is formed of a group of interconnected communication devices, such as computer work stations, between which communication of data is permitted. A networking technology, referred to as the Ethernet, has been standardized, such as in the IEEE 802.3 family of standards, by which to communicate data between the communication devices of an Ethernet network.
With continued advancements, increasingly data-intensive communication services are possible. Multi-media communication services, for instance, provide for the communication of two or more types of data, such as audio data together with video data. Multimedia communication services generally are required to be effectuated with little latency. Real-time, streaming applications, for instance, require low latency, and the communication scheme utilized by which to communicate multimedia data that forms the real-time streaming application must permit the data to be communicated with little, or no, delay. Not only must the data be communicated with low latency, but the data must be communicated in a manner that meets a service quality level, e.g., a QOS (quality of service) level.
A proposal for use of an audio/video bridge (AVB) in an Ethernet network, an “AVB Ethernet”, is being considered by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers). The proposal is intended to enhance multimedia isochronous applications so as to facilitate their effectuation. Various aspects of the AVB Ethernet remain to be resolved.
For instance, aspects pertaining to timing and synchronization remain to be resolved as well as also admission control procedures and requirements. With respect to admission control, a method is proposed, referred to as a stream reservation protocol (SRP). The SRP provides a protocol that permits bridges to guarantee the resources that are required for audio/video (AV) streams based upon a generic attribute reservation protocol (GARP). Additionally, proposals related to frame forwarding rules are also undergoing consideration. The proposals related to the frame forwarding rules generally enhance existing, standard IEEE 802.1 bridge frame forwarding rules to support communication of AV streams together with QOS guarantees for their communication period.
Service discovery procedures are not presently under active consideration. Service discovery procedures, generally UPnP-based, pertain to manners by which to discover the types and capabilities of communication devices within the AVB network. Service discovery procedures are needed to permit communication devices at a network, that is, connected to form portions thereof, to discover other such communication devices, thereafter to be able to perform multimedia communication services therebetween. An Ethernet network might, its entirety, be quite large and include a large number of communication devices. If no constraints are placed upon the service discovery procedures, a communication device might attempt to discover every other communication device of the Ethernet network. In some situations, such broad discovery capability is not desired and can be disadvantageous.
For instance, dormitory rooms of a school dormitory might include AVB Ethernet outlets, permitting a dormitory resident to plug a communication device into a connection with an AVB Ethernet. In an example in which the communication device forms a digital music player, discovery of a speaker, i.e. an acoustic transducer, also connected to the AVB Ethernet network would permit play out of the stored music files for the dormitory resident's listening enjoyment. If the music player performs service discovery procedures throughout the entire AVB Ethernet network, discovery of a speaker connected at another dormitory room and play out of the music at a speaker of the other dormitory room might occur. Such playout would, of course, generally be inappropriate and not wanted. In this example, then, discovery would be preferred to be limited to the same dormitory room at which the music player is connected.
An Ethernet network is able to be divided through use of a gateway in which the gateway functions to bound the service discovery, and other, messages, generated by a communication device. Use of a gateway, however, is relatively costly, and, also, its configuration and management is relatively complex.
If an improved manner could be provided by which to bound service discovery, and other, messages generated by a communication device of an Ethernet network, improved services could be provided.
It is in light of this background information related to communication networks that provide for communication services that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.